Spring-actuated engine starter



Sept. 28, 1954 J. A. SHARP 2,690,234

SPRING-ACTUATED ENGINE STARTER Filed Dec. 18, 1952 Illlllllllllll nlll lll John A. Sharp INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 28, 1954 John A. Sharp, Greggton, Tex.

Application December 18, 1952, Serial No. 326,709

This invention relates to .new 'and'useful improvements and structural refinements in starters for internal combustion engines, and the principal object of the invention is to provide the simple, highly dependableand expeditious starter which is actuated by a spring.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its dependable operation, and in its adaptability for association with internal combustion engines of various types and sizes.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the starter associated with an internal combustion engine, such as for example that of an automobile;

Figure 2 is a front end view of the invention per se;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional detail on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 44 in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 5 --5 in Figure 3.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the spring-actuated starter is designated generally by the reference character In and embodies in its construction a vertically disposed, circular, stationary plate l2 which is rigidly secured by an angle bracket 14 to a crossmember [6 of a vehicle frame, forwardly of the engine l8 and a radiator 20.

A tubular boss 22 is provided centrally on and projects rearwardly from the stationary plate l2 and a tubular hub 24 is rotatable in this boss.

The hub 24 is formed integrally with a drum 26 which includes a peripheral flange 28 and which is also provided at the periphery thereof with a set of ratchet teeth 38.

The ratchet teeth 38 are engaged by a pawl 32 which is secured to a shaft 34, the latter being rotatable in a tubular bearing 36 rigidly secured to the stationary plate 12.

The shaft 34 is provided with a polygonal por- 3 Claims. (01. 185-41) tion 34a to which a wrench, or the like, may be applied for the purpose of releasing the pawl 32 from the ratchet teeth 30.

'An annulus 38 is rotatable on the aforementioned boss 22 and has anchored thereto as at 48 the inner end of a spiral spring 42. This spring is disposed within the drum 26 and the outer end of the spring is anchored in a slot 44 in the drum flange 28, as is clearly shown in Figure 4.

Means are provided for locking the annulus 38 against rotation in one direction on the boss 22,

these means consisting of a pawl 46 which is slidable in a tubular housing '48 formed integrally with the stationary plate 12, the housing 48 also containing a spring 50 which urges the pawl 48 in engagement with a ratchet tooth or notch 52 provided in the annulus 38.

Finally, the invention contemplates the provision of a splined shaft 52 which engages internal splines provided in the hub 24 so that it is slida'ble but non-rotatable in the hub, one end of the shaft 52 being formed with a polygonal, wrench-receiving portion 58, while its other end is provided with a transverse pin 58 to operatively engage a conventional dog clutch 68 on the crankshaft 62 of the engine I8.

When the invention is placed in use, a Wrench, or the like, is applied to the polygonal portion 56 of the shaft 52 and the shaft is slid outwardly so that the pin 58 is disengaged from the crankshaft clutch 88. Thereupon, by imparting rotation to the shaft 52 in a counter-clockwise direction, rotation of the drum 26 relative to the stationary plate I2 will wind the spring 42, it being understood that while this winding action is in progress the pawl 32 simply skips over theratchet teeth 3|] and the pawl 46 holds the annulus 38 stationary.

When the spring is fully wound, the shaft 52 is slid inwardly so as to engage the pin 58 with the crankshaft clutch 68 and the pawl 82 is disengaged from the ratchet teeth 38. The resiliency of the spring 42 will then rapidly rotate the drum 26,. the hub 24 and the associated shaft 52, thereby imparting rotation to the crankshaft of the engine in a clockwise direction for the purpose of starting the same.

While the spring is being unwound, the pawl 46 will still hold the annulus 38 stationary, but when the spring is fully unwound, its reactive force would ordinarily tend to break the spring at its point of anchorage 48 to the annulus 38. The invention eliminates this possibility, since at that time the tendency of the annulus 38 to rotate will overcome the resiliency of the spring 50 in the housing 48 and the pawl 46 will be disengaged from the ratchet tooth or notch 52, thus permitting the annulus 38 to rotate freely on the boss 22 until the reactive force of the spring has been fully expended.

Needless to say, when the engine is in motion, the dog clutch 60 will automatically disengage the pin 58 of the shaft 52 from itself.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and, accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. In a spring-actuated engine starter, the combination of a stationary plate adapted to be secured to a support, a tubular boss provided on said plate, a tubular hub rotatable in said boss, a drum carried by said hub and including an annular flange, an annulus rotatable on said boss, a spiral spring disposed in said drum and having its outer end anchored to said flange, the inner end of said spring being connected to said annulus, a shaft slidable but non-rotatable in said hub and adapted at one end thereof for invention, what is 4 connection to an engine crankshaft, means at the other end of said shaft for rotating the same, ratchet means for locking said drum against rotation in one direction for winding said spring, and second ratchet means for preventing rotation of said annulus relative to said stationary plate while said spring is being wound.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the first-mentioned ratchet means comprise ratchet teeth provided at the periphery of said drum, a pawl shaft carried by said plate, and a pawl provided on said shaft and engaging said ratchet teeth.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said last-mentioned ratchet means comprises a springpressed pawl carried by said stationary plate, and at least one ratchet tooth provided on said annulus and engaged by said pawl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,030,799 Barker June 25, 1912 1,061,595 Brown May 13, 1913 1,066,42a Smithers July 1, 1913 1,936,554 Lansing Nov. 21, 1933 

